It has been correctly said that necessity is the mother of invention. When delving into the history of mountain biking this necessity is clearly seen through the three components that elevated mountain biking into a popular, fun and competitive sport.

Those three specific components that capture the history of mountain biking are the people who fulfilled their passion, the geographical area involved and the construction of the mountain bike.

The People

The history of mountain biking began in the late 1960s when a couple of San Franciscans grew weary of the hectic lifestyle that San Francisco represented. Their disenchantment of city life led them to Marin County where life was more bearable with a less hectic lifestyle. In addition, Marin County was less urbanized.

Eventually, their love for bicycling coupled with the mountainous terrain led to competitive bike races. These bike races were conducted over a 3 mile fire trail in the city of Fairfax. Eventually other bikers joined in the competition with the hopes of breaking the record that had been set for this race. Included in the track was a downward slope extending over 1600 feet.

Eventually the word spread about the competition and enjoyment of this activity, but due to the possible dangers of the race it needed to be eventually canceled. This was due to the inability of the racers to comply with insurance requirements.

The Geographical Area

However, this type of bicycle racing continued in popularity. Eventually the birthplace of modern-day mountain biking was established with the honor of being the birthplace of mountain biking going to Mount Tamalpais in California.

At first, on Mount Tam, the bicyclists would race down the mount and transport the bicycles to the top of the mountain using other methods of transportation. Eventually however, the history of mountain biking included not only the downhill aspect of racing, but utilizing the mountain bike to scale the mountain and beyond.

The Equipment

The history of mountain biking also includes the metamorphoses of the bicycle. It was here at this mount that bicycles began to take on their present look including the use of the balloon tires. Other modifications of an ordinary bike began to appear in response to certain safety elements that needed to be addressed.

One of those modifications was the replacement of the typical breaking mechanism found on an ordinary bike. This modification included the use of cantilever breaks which were lighter and much stronger. Obviously, this strength was needed to stop the bicycle quickly when scaling various heights and traveling over treacherous terrain.

One other modification was the addition of additional gears that were made available for the biker. These gears were necessary in order for the riders to better scale the various heights of the mountains and hills that were utilized for mountain biking.



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